


Ripple

by Blueskylover



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: (sorry Sing), Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Inspired by Life Is Strange, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 00:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22227337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueskylover/pseuds/Blueskylover
Summary: When Eiji moved back to his childhood town to attend a prestigious photography academy, the last thing he expected was to be thrown into the middle of a huge mystery. Armed with a mysterious power, he found himself looking into the strange things that seemed to be happening all around him. With it being difficult to tell friend from foe, would reencountering familiar faces and buried feelings from Eiji’s past help lead him toward the truth? And where was Shorter Wong?
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Shorter Wong, Okumura Eiji/Sing Soo-Ling
Comments: 29
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new year means that it is time for a new fic! I have been dying to write this for a while because A) Life is Strange AU is perfect for the Banana Fish boys and B) because of this [beautiful artwork](https://twitter.com/okumuramari/status/1188505320433377281)
> 
> If you've played Life is Strange before then I will be altering elements of the story to switch things up ;> and if not then that's totally okay, but buckle up because you are in for a wild ride! I hope you enjoy ♡
> 
> Let me know what you think so far! I would love to hear your thoughts/opinions and if you have played the game or not before :D

A few days ago, Eiji would have told you that moving back to Cape Cod to attend Blackwell Academy was like a dream come true. He would be able to take classes taught by _the_ Sergei Varishikov, a world-famous photographer and one of his idols. The campus filled with brick buildings covered in ivory seemed like something out of a storybook. However, returning to the city that he had spent his childhood in hadn’t been all that he expected it to be. 

A majority of the other students of Brickwell Academy had some kind of superiority complex. It felt like he was always looked down on by his peers because his English wasn’t _perfect_ , or he didn’t spend his entire life in the Cape. At least he had Sing, one of his friends that he met in Ibe-san’s film photography class. Sing wasn’t the best at developing film or working in the darkroom, so Eiji offered to help him in exchange for tutoring in science. 

He was currently sitting history of photography, taught by Mr. Varishikov—or _Blanca_ as he insisted his students to call him. It was clear that the renowned photographer had a knack for teaching. His lectures were always interesting and the projects were fun. The only issue that Eiji had was with his classmates. Yut-Lung Lee, the most vain and egotistical person that he had ever met, was currently staring dreamily at Mr. Varishikov. Everyone sucked up to Yut-Lung, just because his older brothers were on the school board. Frederick Arthur, or just Arthur—since he snapped at anyone who called him by his first name, had a sour expression on his face as he watched Yut-Lung pin over their teacher. 

Eiji had heard rumors that they were dating, but rumors were commonplace in Blackwell. There were so many you didn’t know what to believe. At least he had his trusty film camera, a vintage Polaroid 600 that he had gotten for his birthday a few years back. Maybe in another life, he would prefer digital, but analog was his favorite form of photography. It seemed to capture a moment in time in a more intimate way than a digital DSLR could. 

Blanca and Yut-Lung were in the middle of a conversation, so maybe no one would notice if he took a quick photo of himself. No one really paid him any attention a majority of the time, anyways. 

“Can anyone tell me the name of the first process that could permanently record images taken from a camera?” 

As soon as he clicked on the shutter, Eiji instantly regretted it. Everyone turned in their chairs to stare at him, making his face flush and cold sweat form at the base of his neck. 

“Ah, Eiji, thanks for volunteering,” Blanca chuckled. “Since you just demonstrated a modern method for a self-portrait, what your generation likes to refer to as a selfie, you should be familiar with the first process in creating portraits.” 

“Um,” Eiji mumbled as his eyes darted around the room. The answer was in the assigned reading, which he did complete, but everyone’s eyes piercing into him like daggers was making his mind go blank. “I, uh, am not sure..”

Yut-Lung audibly clicked his tongue. “It’s obviously the daguerreotype process founded by Louis Daguerre in 1839.” He glared at him out of the corner of his eye before turning to smile at their teacher. 

“Very good, Yut-Lung! It seems like someone has been doing the reading.” 

“Well, I do find it _very_ interesting, Sergei.” 

“For the last time, Yut-Lung,” Blanca sighed, “please don’t call me that—“ Before he had a chance to finish, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. “Alright everyone, make sure you submit your photo into the Everyday Heroes contest! The winner gets to fly out with me to New York to have their photo on exhibition.” 

The announcement fell on deaf ears as the students jumped out of their seats, either rushing towards the door or gossiping with their friends. As Eiji began gathering his things, he noticed Yut-Lung lounging on their teacher's desk. He was making a show of spreading his legs to flaunt his very tight—no doubt designer— jeans. Eiji took this opportunity to try and sneak out of the classroom unnoticed. 

“I think you will be very pleased with my photograph for the contest, Sergei, I would really love to represent Blackwell in this important event—” 

“Eiji, don’t think I can't see you trying to sneak out on me. We need to talk about your entry to the contest before you leave.” 

Letting out a squeak, Eiji clutched his bag as he sheepishly turned to face Blanca. 

Yut-Lung gave him a dirty look as he approached the desk. “I-I am sorry, but I am still working on my submission for the contest.” 

“It’s not good to procrastinate, Eiji. I know you can do great things, you have real potential as a photographer.” 

Did _the_ Sergei Varishikov just say that about _him_? 

“Just don’t wait too long. John Lennon once said that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.”

“Sure,” Eiji gave a smile, hoping it didn’t look too forced. He sighed in relief when Blanca turned back to his conversation with Yut-Lung, allowing him to slip out of the classroom and into the hallway. 

Since it was between classes, the hallway was packed. The air was abuzz with conversations between students. It was so loud it was making it difficult for Eiji to even pay attention to his own thoughts. Maybe he would take a quick break in the bathroom, he could splash water on his face and not be around dozens of piercing gazes. 

“Who would carry around a weird instant camera like that?” 

“Because Eiji wants everyone to see how trendy he is.” 

“That’s funny. How can someone so shy be trendy?” 

“It’s a fucking joke, Lao. Learn to read between the lines for once.” 

As he made his way down the hall, _something_ seemed different. His eye caught on a poster, one that was definitely not there before class. 

“Have you seen me,” he read aloud. In the middle of the poster was a picture of an Asian boy. He looked very distinctive with a piercing right above his eyebrow along with his hair, which was styled into a mohawk. _How can someone not see him?_

Eiji shrugged before continuing to make his way towards the bathroom, which was thankfully empty. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned on the sink faucet and gathered water in his hands to splash on his face. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he mumbled to himself, “You have potential, so why is it so hard for you to turn in that picture.” 

_Screw it._ He pulled the polaroid out of his pocket and tore it to pieces. 

The creaking sound of a window opening above the sink caused him to jolt. He stood still for a moment, just staring up at the open window. In the few still seconds, a bright green butterfly flew into the bathroom. Eiji had to stifle a gasp at its beauty; he had never seen anything like it before. The butterfly’s jade-colored wings gleamed brilliantly in the dim light. Quickly pulling out his camera, he followed the creature to the gap between the pale blue stall and the wall of the restroom then pressed the shutter. 

As suspected, the flash made the butterfly fly away back out the window. Eiji looked down at the polaroid with a smile. Right as he turned to leave, the bathroom door flew open. He shrunk back into the small cranny. 

“This is so _fucking_ stupid, I could blow up this damn school if I wanted. I’m the one in charge here.” 

Eiji could easily tell it was Arthur’s voice from the brash tone, and he did _not_ sound happy. 

Soon after, the door opened, and another person joined them. 

“So, where’s my cash, Arthur?” 

Something about that voice sounded familiar, but Eiji couldn’t quite place it. 

“I don’t have anything for your punk ass.” 

“Just because you are all buddy-buddy with the Lee family now doesn’t mean anything. You are just some poor street kid who thinks he is an elite now—” 

“Shut the fuck up, _now_.” 

“What are you going to do about it?” 

“Don’t test me, asshole.” 

Peering out from the stall, Eiji had to hold back a scream. Arthur had pinned someone against the wall and was holding a gun to their chest. 

“Hey, now, you’ll get in more trouble for this than drugs. Let’s calm down—“ 

“Don’t tell me what to do! You don’t fucking _know_ me,” Arthur hissed. 

The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion. Whoever Arthur had pinned against the wall pushed him away, resulting in the sound of a gunshot reverberating across the bathroom. Eiji rushed out to see a pool of blood quickly spreading along the floor. He heaved and quickly brought a hand to his mouth to stop himself from throwing up. 

_He just saw someone get killed. Killed!_

His vision was quickly becoming fuzzy, black dots were clouding his view. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. He held out his hand, reaching out towards the encroaching darkness. 

And then… 

“We all know that photography has a rich history filled with famous figures, both men and women alike. Ansel Adams being a notable example.” 

Eiji’s vision cleared, and he was sitting back in his history of photography class. The lecture sounded exactly like the one he had heard earlier. His eyes darted around the room to see Yut-Lung pining over Blanca with Arthur glaring at them both. _How—how can this be? He was just in the bathroom.. that boy got shot, and now he was back in class?_

“Can anyone tell me the name of the first process that could permanently record images taken from a camera?” 

If this is somehow the same as earlier, taking a picture would prompt Blanca to ask him for the answer. Eiji grabbed his camera with shaky hands and took a photo. 

“Ah, Eiji, thanks for volunteering. Since you just demonstrated a modern method for a self-portrait, what your generation likes to refer to as a selfie, you should be familiar with the first process in creating portraits.” 

It sounded just like what Blanca had said to him earlier. This was all too real to be a dream. If this is the same as before then he knew the answer. “The Daguerreotype Process… by a French painter named Louis Daguerre.” 

“Great job, Eiji. It seems like someone has been working on their selfie game as well as the assigned reading.” 

Yut-Lung sneered at him before turning back to stare sweetly at Blanca. 

Eiji could hear the blood roaring in his ears as he looked down at his desk. There is no way he could _rewind_ time, but everything did seem the exact same as before. If that was the case.. then he had a chance to save that boy from being killed! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think so far! I would love to hear your thoughts/opinions and if you have played the game or not before :D 
> 
> Check me out on my other social media:  
> [Tumblr](http://queensgrove.tumblr.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/queensgrove96)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am back with a longer chapter and some fancy HTML formatting :D 
> 
> I had a super long day today with job interviews and apartment hunting but I managed to get this up in time so I'm proud of myself! Make sure to let me know what you think in the comments ♥︎

“Alright everyone, make sure you submit your photo into the Everyday Heroes contest! The winner gets to fly out with me to New York to have their photo on exhibition,” Blanca announced to the class right as the bell started ringing. 

Eiji had to get out of the classroom _fast_. Someone’s life was on the line! 

“Eiji, don’t think I can't see you trying to sneak out on me. We need to talk about your entry to the contest before you leave.” 

Crap! That’s right, he had to get Blanca off his back first. 

Just like before, Yut-Lung was perched on the teacher's desk, scowling at him as he walked over. 

“I promise that I am working on it,” the brunet said hastily, trying to ignore the way that his classmate was staring daggers at him. 

“It’s not good to procrastinate, Eiji. I know you can do great things, you have real potential as a photographer.” 

_Maybe if he repeated the same thing that Blanca had said to him earlier…_

“Right. I think John Lennon said that life happens while you are busy making other plans.” 

“Wow!” Blanca rose his eyebrows. “You are on fire today with these answers. Just make sure you get it done soon, I have faith in you.” 

“Sergei, about _my_ submission to the contest..” 

As Blanca turned to speak to Yut-Lung, Eiji used the opportunity to slip out of the classroom. 

_Please have enough time to get to the bathroom_ , he thought despairingly. _I cannot tell anyone... they would think I am crazy._

Pushing past the sea of people in the hallway earned him a few dirty looks, but that didn’t seem to matter now. The chatter of the students sounded like background noise as he kept his sights focused on the restroom. Shoving the bathroom door open, he found it empty just like it was before. 

“Okay, Eiji, retrace your steps.” He mumbled as he walked over to the sink. “I washed my face, tore up my picture, then the window opened then that butterfly flew in.” 

Sure enough, as he splashed water on his face and ripped his photo into pieces, he heard the window creaking open. Once again, he was mesmerized by the sight of the green butterfly, pulling out his camera to take a quick picture. 

“This is so _fucking_ stupid, I could blow up this damn school if I wanted. I’m the one in charge here.” 

_It really is happening again._

“So, where’s my cash, Arthur?” 

“I don’t have anything for your punk ass.” 

“Just because you are all buddy-buddy with the Lee family now doesn’t mean anything. You are just some poor street kid who thinks he is an elite now—” 

“Shut the fuck up, now.” 

“What are you going to do about it?” 

Eiji peered around to see Arthur pull out a handgun from his jacket pocket. There wasn’t much time left. _What should he do?_

“Hey, now, you’ll get in way more trouble for this than drugs. Let’s calm down—“ 

“Don’t tell me what to do! You don’t fucking know me,” Arthur hissed. 

Frantically looking around, the brunet’s eyes landed on the fire alarm. It was against school rules to pull the fire alarm. He could get in trouble and lose his scholarship. 

The sound of a gun firing pulled him out of his thoughts. He was too late, again. 

_Unless he attempted to rewind time._

Mimicking what he had done before, he held his hand out and squeezed his eyes shut. A sudden, splitting headache caused his vision to blur, but as quickly as it came over him, it was instantly gone. 

“Just because you are all buddy-buddy with the Lee family now doesn’t mean anything. You are just some poor street kid who thinks he is an elite now—” 

It worked! He sighed in relief, peering at the fire alarm. This time he had no choice. Scholarship or not, someone’s life was on the line. 

“Shut the fuck up—“ 

As soon as he tugged the fire alarm, a high pitched siren sounded from the speakers. 

“Shit!” 

The person who was pinned against the wall kicked Arthur in the groin, causing him to double over and drop the gun. “Don’t you ever think about touching me again, asshole.” 

“Damn you, Ash.” 

_Ash..?_ Eiji peeked around the corner, trying to get a better view of this person. All he could see was the back of their head as they ran out of the restroom. 

Arthur swore under his breath as he stomped around for a few more seconds before grabbing his gun and slamming the bathroom door open. 

Eiji let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding as he sunk down to the floor. What in the world just happened? He watched someone get shot and then saved them? 

The alarm rang in his ears as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, which was proving to be difficult with how much his legs were shaking. Eventually, he was able to make it out of the restroom. 

“Hey, are you deaf? That alarm means you should be outside, so what the hell are you still doing here?” The school security guard, Marvin, was glaring down at him. 

“I-I was just using the bathroom,” he stammered in response. 

“You look guilty as hell, what are you hiding.” Even though he had technically asked a question, it sounded more like an accusation. 

“I am not hiding—“ 

“That’s enough, Mr. Crosby. Go switch that alarm off and leave Mr. Okumura alone.” Principal Golzine stepped between the two of them. 

Marvin huffed and trudged back into the utility room. 

“Is everything okay, Mr. Okumura? You are shaking like a leaf.” 

“Nothing is wrong, sir,” Eiji said quietly, keeping his eyes downcast on the floor. 

“You can tell me, Eiji.” Golzine looked at him for a moment before his tone turned serious. "Or is it that you’ve broken school rules?” 

Thoughts swirled in Eiji’s head as his heart pounded in his chest. If he told the truth, then Arthur would come after _him_ next. On the other hand, if he lied, that could end up costing him his scholarship, and he couldn’t bring himself to go back to Japan right now. 

His mind flashed back to his father, who was slowly wasting away on his sickbed. Also to his sister, who had closed herself off from the world, and his mother, who was at the neighbor’s apartment more than she was at home. A negative air perpetually hung in their apartment, making it difficult to even think straight. Blackwell's scholarship offer was an opportunity to escape from that, and he couldn’t risk losing it. 

“I saw Arthur in the bathroom with a gun.” 

“You are referring to Frederick Arthur, correct?” Principal Golzine didn’t seem phased in the slightest from his confession. 

“Um, yes? Are you going to suspend him?” 

“I will look into the matter myself. This is a serious accusation, Mr. Okumura.” 

“T-That is it? He had a gun and could have killed—“ 

“I’ve heard enough. Go join your classmates outside.” 

_Why is he so calm.. principals should be to be looking out for the wellbeing of students!_ Eiji frowned as he walked down the corridor. Laying right in front of the double doors was a scattered pile of the posters he had seen earlier. Picking one up, he noticed something that he didn’t see before, scribbled on the bottom in messy handwriting. The boy's name. 

“Who are you, Shorter Wong?” 

\- - - 

Even though the alarm just stopped ringing, students were mingling out in the commons as if nothing had happened. He could use this an opportunity to try and find out more about this 'Shorter Wong' person. The first classmate he spotted was Alex, who in his film photography class and was currently lounging under the big oak tree. 

“Hi, Alex.” 

“Hey there, Eiji. What’s up?” 

“Do you know, uh, Shorter Wong..” Eiji trailed off. 

“Oh yeah, you’re new here, so I guess you wouldn’t know about him. Shorter was cool as hell, always down to party or chill, and the nicest dude you’ll ever meet.” 

“What do you think happened to him? There are a lot of posters around with his face on them.” 

“Dunno.” Alex shrugged. “Whatever happens to people who randomly disappear without a trace.” 

_Disappear?_

“I’m about to fall asleep, Eiji,” Alex said between yawns. “I’ll talk to you later.” 

Walking down the courtyard, he was still not quite sure what to think of Shorter Wong. Maybe he’d ask for more opinions.. right after a quick photograph of the orange leaves cascading down from the trees. 

“Heya, Eiji.” 

Turning away from his viewfinder, he turned to see Skip grinning up at him. While he didn’t look old enough to be one, he was actually a freshman, and he was one of the friendlier people that Eiji had met at Blackwell. 

“Hi, Skip.” 

“Are you taking pictures of leaves?” Skip chuckled. 

“Why you say it like that?” The brunet puffed out his cheeks. “I like autumn.. the leaves are pretty.” 

“Guess I just don’t have that photographer’s eye, huh?” He put his hands behind his head and leaned against a nearby tree. 

“Skip.. do you know Shorter Wong?” 

“Shorter? Everyone liked him, I even heard that Blanca had his eye on him.” 

“Another rumor,” Eiji groaned. 

“Hey,” Skip gasped dramatically, “I heard that one from a credible source!” 

_It seemed like he really wasn’t getting anywhere with this._

“Oh, before I forget. Sing said he is looking for you." 

As if on cue, Eiji’s phone vibrated. 

> _October 7th, 2019_  
>  _1:05 PM_  
>  **Sing:**   
> Eiji! U gotta help me out it's an emergency!! 
> 
> **Eiji:**   
> What happened? (⊙_⊙) 
> 
> **Sing:**  
>  I need the external charger back do u have it? 
> 
> **Eiji:**  
>  It is in the dorms 
> 
> **Sing:**   
> Can u get it pls? 
> 
> **Eiji:**  
>  Why do you not get it yourself (￢_￢;)
> 
> **Sing:**   
> I’m held up with something in the parking lot. It’s cool u will see. Bring the camera. 
> 
> **Eiji:**  
>  Fine 

With a sigh and a quick wave to Skip, he pocketed his phone then headed towards the dormitories. 

\- - - 

“Well, if it isn’t Blackwell’s own selfie guru,” Yut-Lung glared up at him as he lounged on the steps to the dorms. Next to him sat Lao and another one of his lackeys. “Who the hell takes selfies with a polaroid camera, anyway?” 

“Sorry, Yut-Lung, I need to get by,” Eiji said weakly. 

“God, always acting polite and innocent. Even Sergei doesn’t fall for that shit.” Yut-Lung rolled his eyes. “The Daguerreotype Process, sir,” he said in a high pitched voice, probably in an attempt to mock him. “You could barely even say that correctly.” 

That resulted in a round of laughter between the three of them. 

“I do not sound like that.” 

“Oh my god, you are so annoying. I really don’t see what Sing could possibly see in you.” 

“Sing?” Eiji blinked. “What does it have to do with him?” 

“Tell me, Eiji,” Yut-Lung leaned forward to look him in the eye. “When Sing fucks you do you take it doggy style, or do you just lay there and cry like the loser that you are?” 

“W-What are you saying?” 

“Yeah, Yue, that’s a bit too far. That’s my younger brother you’re talking about,” Lao muttered. 

“Oh, calm down. I’m only joking. You always take everything so seriously.” 

Not even bothering to be polite anymore, Eiji forced his way around the bickering trio and into the dorms. 

_Yut-Lung is being ridiculous. There is no way that Sing likes him in that way._

He almost made it to his room before his phone chimed again. 

> _October 7th, 2019_  
>  _1:15 PM_  
>  **Sing:**   
> 4%! Dying here 
> 
> **Eiji:**  
>  The more I text the longer I take.. can not walk and type (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞
> 
> **Sing:**  
>  R u 40 or something? Hurry! 2% 

With a huff, he grabbed the charger that Sing had let him borrow just yesterday. He didn’t even have a chance to use it yet. 

\- - - 

“Eiji, over here!” Sing waved to him from across the parking lot. 

“Hey, Sing, here you go,” he handed over the charger. 

“Thanks, Ei-chan, you’re a lifesaver!” 

A tense moment of silence passed as Eiji stared at the other boy. “E-Ei-chan?” 

“That’s what Mr. Ibe calls you, right? It sounds like a neat nickname.” 

“I guess..” He didn’t have the heart to explain any further, it had been a long day. 

“You alright? You seem kind of out of it.” 

While having someone to confide in would be nice, he would rather avoid making one of his few friends at Blackwell think he was literally crazy. 

“Okumura!” 

Both Sing and Eiji turned their heads up to see Arthur approaching them from across the parking lot. 

“Y-Yes?” 

“I know a freak like you is always taking pictures, especially when they are hiding out in bathrooms.” 

Eiji felt his blood run cold. The murderous look in Arthur’s eyes made his legs start to shake. “I-I do not know what you are talking about.” 

“Don’t lie to me,” Arthur hissed. “You'd better tell me what you told Golzine. Now.” 

“You are making no sense—“ 

“I know you’re new here, but don’t play stupid with me, or you’ll regret it.” 

“I am not new, I lived here for years—“ 

“Then you should know that I can end you. I have connections.” 

“Hey,” Sing barked, “Get away from him. Eiji hasn’t done anything.” 

“Stay out of this Soo-Ling, this has nothing to do with you!” 

“It does if you intend to hurt Eiji!” Sing scowled as he launched himself at Arthur, who managed to push him away. 

“Stop it! Leave Sing alone,” Eiji cried as he watched the two boys lunge frantically at one another. Sing was smaller, so he was more evasive, but Arthur seemed to be throwing the heavier punches. 

He didn’t even have a chance to run before Arthur grabbed him by the neck and shoved him to the ground. Pain bloomed along his right shoulder and black spots filled his line of sight as he hit the asphalt. His head was spinning and he could hear Sing faintly calling his name before jumping at Arthur. 

Right as he was about to push himself to his feet, the sound of tires screeching made him freeze. Bright headlights and smoke suddenly flooded his vision. It took him a moment to grasp that a truck that had slammed on its breaks right in front of him. He squinted his eyes and peered through the front window, letting out a gasp at who he saw in the driver’s seat. 

“A-Aslan?” 

“Eiji?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also love writing bitchy Yut-Lung. He is basically the Regina George of this AU and I'm living for it.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://queensgrove.tumblr.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/queensgrove96)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consistent posting schedule? Don't know her. 
> 
> I was considering breaking this chapter up into two parts, but I decided to leave it as one for you guys since you are all so sweet/amazing readers :) Enjoy the long chapter!

It would make sense that Eiji would run into his childhood best friend, that he hadn’t seen or spoken to in years, on possibly one of the strangest days of his life. 

“You again?” Arthur snarled as he whipped around to face the truck. “Come back for more, huh, Ash.” 

Ash.. that was the name he had heard in the bathroom. 

“Don’t turn your back on me, blondie,” Sing yelled as he jumped on Arthur’s back, pushing him to the ground and holding him in a headlock. After a few seconds of struggle, Arthur was able to break loose and jab his elbow into Sing’s face. 

“Sing!” Eiji cried out. 

“What are you doing, Eiji? Get in the car,” Aslan yelled out. 

He could just get in the truck, but that would mean leaving Sing alone with Arthur. It wasn’t like him to abandon a friend. 

“Go, Eiji! I can handle this white boy, don’t you worry.” Sing turned and gave him a grin along with a confident thumbs up. 

“I-If you are sure.” 

“Eiji, come on.” Aslan pushed open the passenger door. 

Looking reluctantly between the truck and his classmates fighting, he felt torn. While he wanted to help, he would probably just get in the way. Swearing under his breath, Eiji climbed into the passenger seat. 

Aslan slammed on the gas, causing the brunet to let out a squeak as he was pushed back into the cheap faux-leather fabric. He clutched his bag to his chest as he looked out the window, trying to push down the nauseous feeling in his stomach. 

“You’d better fucking run. Next time I see you, you’re dead!” Arthur roared as they sped out of the parking lot. 

It wasn’t until they were on the main road that Eiji stole a glance at his friend. _He really had grown up._ It didn’t even seem like he was the same person as the cute and sweet Aslan he once knew. Well, _cute_ was no longer a suitable word to describe him. Aslan was extremely _handsome_ now with his strong jaw and shining green eyes. He had also let his hair grow out a little longer, the ends were now dyed a light blue, framing his face perfectly. Eiji could feel his cheeks getting warmer just by thinking about it. 

“Is there something on my face?” Aslan smirked, not even looking in his direction. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, sinking down into the chair. 

“Typical Eiji, always apologizing over nothing.” 

Eiji chewed on his bottom lip and looked back out the window. He didn’t quite know what to say, so he remained quiet. 

“You look the same. Even still have some of that baby fat, I see,” the blond teased with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

“I-I do not!” Eiji huffed. “And you? You look very different. I almost did not recognize you!” 

“Yeah, I got a few cartilage piercings.” 

“And your hair! It is blue now.” 

“Do you like it? I had it dyed purple before, but I recently switched to blue.” 

A familiar warm feeling settled in Eiji's chest as he offered a small smile. “I think it suits you, Aslan.” 

The blond's expression darkened for a moment, his green eyes becoming clouded with an emotion that Eiji couldn’t quite place. Before he could read into it too much, Aslan shook his head and began drumming his painted nails on the steering wheel. “It’s Ash now,” he said simply. 

“What do you mean?” 

“That’s what everyone calls me.” 

“Oh,” Eiji breathed. _So he was right.. Aslan was the same person that he saved in the bathroom earlier that day._

“Are you going to tell me why that asshole Arthur was attacking you?” 

Part of him wanted to confide in Aslan. If anyone would believe his story, then it would be him. But everything today kept making him doubt himself. “I have no idea.” 

“I see,” Aslan said slowly. It was clear that he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Your friend was really trying to beat the shit out of him.” 

“You mean Sing? I did not know he could fight like that..” 

“It was impressive the way he was using his height to his advantage.” 

Before he had a chance to respond, they had pulled up the dirt driveway beside the small house that Eiji remembered so vividly. It seemed like only yesterday that he was playing with Aslan on the porch or climbing up the tree in the backyard. But not everything was the same as it had been years ago. Vines climbed up the columns and along the side of the house, while the leaves on the overgrown bushes nearly touched the porch. 

It was Griffin, Aslan’s half brother, who usually tended to the landscaping. A few times, he was even able to convince both Aslan and him to help. However, once Griffin got sick, he had a hard time keeping up with trimming back the bushes. Now, it was clear that the landscaping had been neglected for years. 

“Home, shit, home,” his friend grumbled as he jumped out of the truck and slammed the door behind him with his foot. 

Climbing out of the truck, Eiji stood still for a moment, clutching the strap to his bag as he let the breeze blow past him. The wind ruffled his hair and caused the grass to sway while he stared out at the ocean on the horizon. He couldn’t resist pulling out his camera to take a quick photo. 

“I don’t see why you’d want a photo of that,” the blond frowned as he stared out at the sea. Despite the scowl on Aslan's face, Eiji could see a tinge of sadness in those green eyes. 

“It is beautiful, do you not think so?” 

“No.” The answer came quickly. “There’s nothing here, and it’s always so damn windy.” 

“Oh..” 

“I’m going inside. You can stay out here, taking pictures all night long for all that I care.” 

A sour feeling settled in his stomach as he watched his friend disappear into the house. Aslan always seemed to love it here. 

_10 years ago..._

_“Look, Eiji, my seashell is bigger,” the blond gave him a big toothy grin, even though his smile was missing the front right tooth._

_“Okay, okay, you win,” Eiji sighed while flopping down onto the sand next to his measly pile of shells. They had been seashell hunting for over an hour. It was Griffin’s birthday tomorrow, so Aslan enlisted his help to try and find the biggest shell on the beach for a gift._

_Seagulls chirped overhead, soaring through the blue sky. Puffs of clouds slowly floated by as he let the sun hit his face. Just as he was getting comfortable, a mop of golden hair blocked his view._

_“Are you tired already?” Aslan stared down at him._

_“A little. You are not?”_

_“Nope!” His friend laughed before sitting down next to him. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of being out here or spending time with you!”_

Eiji pushed open the blue door, resisting the urge to chip off a piece of peeling paint by the doorknob. 

“Excuse me for the intrusion,” he mumbled out of habit as he toed off his boots. 

Once the door was shut, the front room became completely dark. All the drapes were pulled shut, and the walls were bare. It seemed all of the pictures had been taken down. The furniture looked barely used, and the table was covered in dust. It seemed like the house was a ghost of its former self. 

On his way down the hall, he peeked into Griffin’s old room. The only thing that seemed the same was the placement of the furniture. Once again, the walls were bare, and the desk, which used to be covered in unfinished poems written on notebook paper, was now coated in dust. Even the bookshelf was empty. Apparently, someone had been sleeping there, as the sheets were a mess, and Griffin always used to make his bed. 

Eiji shook his head and headed to Aslan’s room. As soon as he opened the door, he was met with a face full of smoke. A strong smell he couldn’t recognize rushed into his lungs, causing him to start coughing. 

“Aslan,” he managed to choke out. 

His friend peered at him from his spot the bed. He held something between his fingers, bringing it to his mouth to inhale it. 

“I-Is that.. drugs?” Eiji stammered. 

“Just some weed.” 

“But.. drugs are bad.” 

The blond gave him a mischievous grin before taking another hit. “What are you gonna do, call the cops on me?” 

“No,” he sighed, sitting down on a nearby desk chair. The old, green desk was about the only thing that seemed the same about Aslan’s room. Obscure posters were plastered all over the walls and the floor was covered in clothes, papers, and open books. Part of the bookshelf had collapsed, leaving only one shelf full of novels and textbooks. Even the bed frame was gone, the mattress had just been left sitting on the floor. 

“Are you just going to sit there and stare into space?” 

“Is that not what you are doing,” Eiji snapped back, narrowing his eyes. 

“Well, I’m laying here and staring off into space, so it’s very different,” Aslan scoffed. 

A few beats of silence passed before the brunet shifted awkwardly in the chair. “Why are all the pictures near the front door gone?” 

His friend visibly stiffened at his question, a darkness clouded his eyes as he turned to stare out the window. “After Griff died, Dad threw all his shit away.” 

“And his room..?” 

“Cleaned that out too. Threw everything away or pawned it.. all the books and poems. Said that it was the least that Griff could do for making him pay all those medical bills.” 

“Aslan,” Eiji uttered as he stared at the other boy in disbelief. The broken look in those green eyes made him want nothing more than to gather Aslan into his arms. 

“He’s taken over Griff’s old room, even though he barely sleeps there. Most of the time, he’s with Jennifer over the diner.. it’s only when the social worker comes that he bothers to pretend he lives here.” 

_So that explains the state of the house._

“Don’t give me that sad look, I don’t want your pity.” 

“I was not—“ The rest of the words died in his throat as he watched Aslan turn away from him. 

Instead of saying something stupid that would just upset his friend even more, maybe he would just keep quiet and do some homework. As he reached down to grab his bag from where he dropped it earlier, he spotted a familiar sheet of paper among the mess on the floor. One that he had actually seen posted all over Blackwell today. 

_Shorter Wong._

On closer inspection, many of the papers scattered on the floor were that same missing person poster. 

“Give me that.” Aslan snatched the paper right out of his hands. “I guess I forgot a couple,” he mumbled, glancing down at the pile on the floor. 

“You put these posters around Blackwell?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Aslan—“ 

“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s Ash now.” 

“Who is Shorter Wong?” 

\- - - 

As soon as the words had left his mouth, Eiji instantly regretted asking. 

The way Aslan’s face scrunched up in pain was answer enough. His friend let out a sigh and sat down on the mattress. “Shorter.. he was everything to me.” 

Steadily walking across the small room, Eiji quietly sat down next to Aslan on the bed. 

“After Griff died and you left for Japan... I felt like the world had turned against me. I was going to run away, but that’s when I met Shorter. He saved me, Eiji.” 

A wave of guilt washed over him. It’s not like he wanted to go back to Japan and leave his best friend behind. He could remember crying to his parents, begging them to stay. Still, they were adamant about returning to their home country. 

“He looks so cool.” The Shorter that stared up at him from the poster exuded nothing but confidence. With his dyed hair and relaxed smile, he seemed like the main character in a book or movie. 

“Yeah..” A fond smile crossed the blond’s face as he looked out the window. “We were planning on getting the hell out of here. Most likely to California or something.” 

Even though he felt uncomfortable asking, Eiji just had to know. “So, what happened to him?” 

Aslan’s grin quickly fell into a frown. “Around six months ago, he just... left Cape Cod without saying a word to anyone.” A faraway look began to cloud over his green eyes. “He didn’t even tell me.” 

“Maybe he went to California?” 

A tense silence followed his words. After a few moments, the blond stood up from the bed, turning away from him as he pushed the blunt down into the ashtray sitting on the messy desk. 

“I knew you wouldn’t understand, Eiji,” Aslan said slowly, not bothering to turn back to look at him. “Shorter.. he wouldn’t just go and leave me alone like that.” 

“Sorry…” 

“And here starts the apologizing.” His friend sighed while flopping back down on the mattress. “Listen, I know something happened to him.” 

Eiji fiddled with a loose string on the hem of his shirt. “How do you know?” 

“Right before he left, he told me that he met someone who was going to change his life.” 

“Do you know who?” 

“I sadly haven’t gotten that far yet.” 

“Oh,” he said lamely. 

“Let’s talk about this later. I need a smoke or a nap.. or both after this crazy day,” Aslan sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. 

\- - - 

Sitting down at the desk, Eiji scooped his bag off the floor to assess the damage from the parking lot. Thankfully, his camera was unscathed apart from a few small scratches, but his phone had a huge crack along the screen. There was also a text from Sing. The message included an image attachment of him giving a thumbs up over Arthur’s unconscious body. Sing’s black eye and a face full of scratches was evidence that it wasn’t an easy fight. 

> _October 7th, 2019_  
>  _3:24 PM_  
>  **Sing** : U should have seen how I kicked that white boy’s ass! No one can beat the great Sing Soo-Ling 💪 
> 
> **Eiji** : Your eye! Are you okay (°ロ°) ! 
> 
> **Sing** : All good.. couldn’t let that guy hurt u 
> 
> **Eiji** : I owe you big time. Thank you, Sing! 
> 
> **Sing** : Lmk when u get back to Blackwell 
> 
> **Eiji** : Will do \\(^ヮ^)/ 

Next, he pulled out his photographs. Some were safe from being tucked in his journal, but others slipped out when his bag was getting tossed around and ended up becoming crumpled. He grabbed one of Aslan’s ridiculously large novels and tried to flatten the photo underneath it. 

“Are these your latest pictures?” The blond suddenly appeared next to him, peering over his shoulder. 

“Yes... I just took them today,” Eiji mumbled. 

“Can I see them?” 

He gathered up the polaroids, including the few he had under the book, then handed them over to Aslan. 

“Let’s see,” his friend grinned as he shuffled through the pictures. “These are really good, you’ve definitely gotten better.” 

“Thanks,” Eiji responded meekly, his face warming at the compliment. 

“Still don’t understand the appeal of photographing things like leaves—wait a second.” Aslan furrowed his brows as he stared at the picture currently in his hand, the one of the green butterfly from earlier that day. “I’ve seen this before.” 

“Um,” he mumbled, beginning to sweat under the blond’s intense gaze. 

“You were there in the bathroom, weren’t you? And I’ll bet you were the one who pulled the fire alarm.” 

“I-I was,” Eiji admitted lamely. 

A mischievous grin crossed Aslan’s face as he crouched down to be eye-level with him. “Are you telling me that Eiji Okumura — who never breaks the rules— actually went against school policy?” 

“I had no choice. Arthur.. h-he had a gun, and I was so scared—” 

He didn’t realize that his hands were shaking until Aslan covered them with his own. “You saved my life, Eiji. You’re incredible.” 

Eiji chewed his bottom lip while staring down at the floor. “I am not incredible, I was hiding in the corner and nearly threw up when I saw the gun.” 

His friend gently squeezed his hands. “But you took action even though you were scared, and it ended up saving my life.” 

Gathering the small amount of courage he had, he looked up to meet Aslan’s eyes. His friend's gaze held an undeniable tenderness, which made Eiji’s heart start to beat rapidly in his chest. 

A door slamming caused them both to jump. “Ash?” A gruff voice called out. 

“Shit, it’s my dad,” Aslan stood up and looked around the room frantically. “You should hide, Eiji, I don’t want him to be an ass to you too.” 

Since the mattress was flat on the floor, he couldn’t crawl under the bed, which left only one place. The closet. 

“Ash, why the hell is your door locked?” 

“Just give me a minute,” The blond yelled to the other side of the door then motioned for him to hurry up. 

As he forced open the closet door, a lamp that was resting against it crashed to the ground. 

“What the hell was that?” the voice called. 

_Crap! If I rewind time, I can avoid breaking that._

Eiji squeezed his eyes shut and held his hand out. Once again, an overwhelming headache took over him, causing his vision to blur, but within a few seconds, it was gone. 

“Ash, why the hell is your door locked?” 

_It worked!_ He sighed in relief before moving the lamp to a safe spot. This time he was able to open the closet door quietly and slip in. Aslan’s clothes were all dark, so they worked well to hide his body. 

“Not locked anymore,” The blond sat down at the edge of his bed and crossed his legs as he glared at his father. 

It had been years since Eiji had seen Aslan’s father. Even when he did live in Cape Cod, Jim was rarely around. He could count on his fingers how many times he had met the man in all the years he had known Aslan. 

Jim crossed his arms as he stood in the doorway, not bothering to enter the room further. “One of my guns is missing, would you know anything about that?” 

“Why would I know anything about that?” 

“Don’t get smart.” The older man narrowed his eyes. “You are one of the only ones who knows the password to the safe.” 

“I didn’t take your gun, dad,” Aslan grumbled while staring out the window. A second later, a teasing grin was spreading across his face. “What about Jennifer, she knows the password—“ 

“There is no reason she would—wait, is that weed I can smell?” Jim swore, anger quickly taking over his tone. 

“Yeah, yeah first it’s guns now I’m smoking weed—“ 

Clearly, that wasn’t the answer that Jim wanted to hear. A vein throbbed in his forehead as a harsh red color spread up from his neck. “You ungrateful piece of shit. If it weren’t for me, then you wouldn’t even have this roof over your head. You’d be in an orphanage or on the streets.” 

Aslan winced as his father grabbed his arm, yanking him forward to yell in his face. “Do you want the social worker seeing you do this shit? You’d definitely be taken away, then.” 

“Stop it,” the blond whimpered as Jim’s grip tightened, and his screams grew louder. 

Eiji stood frozen in the closet, his blood running cold. His brain was crying out for him to stay put, while his heart was telling him to _do_ something. While he hadn’t been there for his friend for a long time, he was here now. Steeling himself, he pushed open the closet door. “It is mine,” he announced. 

Both father and son turned to look at him in shock. 

“It is my—ah,” Eiji fumbled for words, forgetting for a moment what this drug was even called. “Weeds?” 

“Eiji,” Aslan said breathlessly. “You don’t have to do this—“ 

“If you want to be angry at someone, you can be angry at me,” he internally cursed at the shakiness of his voice. 

“Who are you again?” Jim loosened his grip on his son’s arm to stare him up and down. 

“He’s my friend, dad,” Aslan spat. “We’ve known each other since we were kids, not that you’d care.” 

“Hah, you don’t have any friends,” the older man retorted with a self-satisfied glint in his green eyes. 

“How would you know, it’s not like you’re ever here in the first place!” 

“I’m sick of this disrespect in my own home—“ 

“Shut up! You don’t care about me, Griff, or anything but getting your cock sucked by that brunette at the diner,” His friend fumed, face twisted up in rage. 

Eiji let out a gasp as Jim raised a hand to his son. He rushed between the two of them and closed his eyes, waiting for the slap in the face. “Please stop,” he begged. 

Thankfully, the older man lowered his hand in time as he glowered at both him and Aslan. He didn’t say another word as he stomped out of the room and slammed the door shut. 

Letting out a shaky breath, Eiji nearly sunk to the floor in relief. “Are you okay?” He turned to his friend, gently taking his arm to inspect the angry red finger-shaped marks. 

“I’ll be fine,” Aslan chuckled before his tone turned serious. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“I did! Your dad should not be treating you like that,” he huffed. 

“Always has and always will.” The blond shrugged. “Since he’s gone now, I want to show you something.” 

“Show me wha—“ Eiji stopped mid-sentence as he stared at the gun Aslan pulled from the desk drawer. “Y-You lied! Why do you have that?” 

“Just in case,” Aslan smirked as he tossed the revolver from hand to hand. “Do you want to see it?” 

_Yes!_ His mind screamed, he knew it was dangerous, but yearned to see what a real gun felt like. “Guns are bad.. but it could not hurt to just hold it.” 

“Don’t worry, it’s not loaded or anything, with how klutzy you are, you’d end up shooting yourself in the foot.” The blond teased as he placed the gun in his hands. 

“I am not a klutz,” Eiji pouted. The revolver felt heavy in his hand, much heavier than he expected. “How they shoot in movies with one hand, it is heavy.” 

“‘Cause you aren’t supposed to shoot with just one hand.” Aslan rolled his eyes as he took the gun back, stuffing it in the waistband of his jeans. 

He considered taking a photo of the moment. His friend reminded him of a handsome lead in one of the action movies, running into a burning building with guns blazing to rescue his lover from a villain. His face felt warm at the thought. _Better to just leave his camera on the desk._

\- - - 

“Eiji. Your shoulder.” 

“Hm?” He blinked owlishly at Aslan. Sure his shoulder throbbed from hitting the ground earlier, but that was the least of his worries right now. “It is okay.” 

“Bullshit,” The blond sat up from his relaxed position on the bed. “You’re telling me that blood is just a pattern on your dumb bird shirt?” 

“I-It is not dumb! Nori Nori is great,” Eiji said defensively. 

“I’ll bet that’s the same exact shirt you wore in middle school—“ 

“It still fits okay, so why get rid of it?” 

“You really haven’t changed one bit, huh?” Aslan stared at him with a soft smile, making his thoughts turn to mush. The familiar warm feeling soon returned to his chest as he avoided those green eyes. 

“I guess not..” Eiji flinched when his friend suddenly jumped up from the bed. 

“Let me go get the first aid kit.” 

“I really am okay. You do not have to,” he protested weakly. 

“You helped me out twice today.. let me return the favor.” 

He had no time to protest before Aslan left for the bathroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts. 

It was still strange to think that it was _Aslan_ who he saved earlier that day. With his... power. How could he have the ability to rewind time? And why was his friend fighting with Arthur in the first place? 

“Okay, take that stupid Nori shirt off so I can patch up your shoulder.” The blond entered the room, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

A wave of self-consciousness washed over him. _He had been shirtless around Aslan countless times before, so why was he getting so flustered all of a sudden?_

Aslan sat down right next to him, gauze in hand. “Any day now,” he said slowly, staring at him expectantly. 

“R-Right,” the brunet squeaked as he tugged his shirt off and held it in his lap. Just as Aslan had said, there was a big bloodstain on the back. Running his fingers over the ruined fabric, he felt his heart ache a little. _He liked this shirt._

“Arthur did this to you?” His friend’s tone switched from lighthearted to murderous in an instant. 

“Um, well—it is my fault too? When I fell, I could have caught myself better..” He craned his head to look at his shoulder, which was covered in small gashes caked with dried blood. When he looked back up, Aslan’s face was incredibly close to his. He could see the light freckles dotted across his nose and the smudged black eyeliner right above his blond eyelashes. Eiji could already feel the flush creeping up onto his cheeks, causing him to quickly turn his head back towards the door in an attempt to calm his erratic heartbeat. 

“It is _not_ your fault. It’s that stupid bastard Arthur,” Aslan sighed as he soaked a cloth with disinfectant. “This may hurt a little.” 

“Ah—” Eiji winced, an intense stinging feeling on his shoulder took over the throbbing pain. His eyes flicked up to look at his friend. With one hand, Aslan was gently rubbing away the dried blood while the other was resting on the bed. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his friend’s free hand and squeezed. 

“Shit, does it hurt that much? I’m almost done.” 

“It is okay,” he managed to choke out. The warmth from Aslan’s hand was helping him ignore the sting from the disinfectant. His sister always mocked him for being a baby in these types of situations, but he couldn’t help it. 

“Alright, just some cream and then the gauze.” The blond used his teeth to pop open the container of cream before beginning to tenderly spread it over the cuts with his thumb. “It’s pain-relieving, so it should help you feel better.” 

The relief was almost immediate, the stinging died back down into a dull ache, making Eiji involuntarily let out a content sigh. Aslan smiled as he gave his hand a gentle squeeze before pulling away. “Just the gauze, and that’s it.” 

His friend wrapped the gauze around his shoulder and under his arm to cover all the cuts. He finished it off by tying the two ends with a messy knot. “And.. done.” 

Eiji peered into the dirty mirror, craning his head to see the bandages. They looked a little messy, but his shoulder felt infinitely better than before. “Thank you, Asl—“ He stopped, making sure this time to correct himself. “I mean.. thank you, Ash.” 

“It’s no problem,” Aslan avoided meeting his eyes as he packed up the first aid kit. “We should probably get you back to Blackwell soon.” 

The idea of returning back to Blackwell and having to face Arthur again sent a chill down his spine. However, he couldn’t keep hiding in Aslan’s house forever. And he did have this power, which could help him to defend himself. “Okay,” he nodded, hoping his voice didn’t sound as shaky as he thought it did. 

\- - - 

Standing in the front hallway, Eiji pulled on his boots and started to lace them up. He had already placed his photos safely in his journal, apart from the picture of the butterfly that Aslan asked if he could keep. After this strange day, he wasn’t sure if he could stomach seeing another butterfly again. 

“Eiji.” 

“I am coming, you go ahead,” he called out to his friend. 

“No, seriously, Eiji.. you have to see this.” 

After grabbing his grey cardigan from off the coat hook, Eiji walked out the door to find Aslan still standing on the porch. “I thought you were going to turn on the car..” he trailed off as he noticed the expression on the blond’s face. His green eyes were wide in shock while his mouth was hanging agape. 

“Is everything okay—“ 

“It’s snowing,” Aslan said breathlessly as he stared out at the shore. 

“Snow? But it is not cold enough for that.” Eiji shook his head in disbelief as he looked out into the yard. He had to hold back a yelp at the sight. Just like Aslan had said, snowflakes were falling from the sky. 

“I can’t believe this. It's sixty degrees... what’s going on?” 

The two of them stood frozen on the porch, both watching in astonishment as the snowflakes floated to the ground, despite it being only the start of the autumn season. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some [cute](https://twitter.com/kiringo69/status/1216636880805974016) [asheiji](https://twitter.com/akoda410/status/1209741643894542336) [fanart](https://twitter.com/bbb__aiko/status/1218805910115504128) that I was squealing over when I was writing this chapter!
> 
> Check me out on social media! I love talking to you guys ( ◜ᴗ◝ )  
> [Tumblr](http://queensgrove.tumblr.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/queensgrove96)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! Apologies for having this chapter out much later than the others, this whole corona situation kinda threw the things in my life for a loop. The good thing is that writing has given me a goal to work towards amidst all this chaos, so hopefully you will be seeing more updates from me! ♡

The car ride back to Blackwell was quiet, _too quiet_ , Eiji thought. Aslan hadn’t said a word since the snowflakes started to fall, his blond brows furrowed in concentration as he stared out at the road. He was sure that his friend’s mind was running a mile a minute, trying to find some type of logical explanation for the strange weather. 

In the back of his mind, Eiji had a nagging feeling that the snow had something to do with him. It wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen today, considering the fact that he was able to _rewind time_ to save his childhood best friend from being shot dead in the school bathroom. 

Come to think of it, he never found out why Aslan was in the bathroom in the first place. 

“Aslan,” he said softly, fiddling with the hem of his cardigan. 

The blond let out a heavy sigh as he glanced over. “It’s Ash now, remember?” 

“R-Right sorr—“ 

“If you start apologizing over nothing again, I will pull over and make you walk back to Blackwell,” Aslan’s tone was serious. Still, there was a playful glint in his green eyes. 

Eiji huffed as he slumped back against the seat. He knew Aslan would never do something like that to him. 

“So, what is it?” His friend asked casually, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel along to the beat of some old rock and roll song blasting on the radio. 

“You have not told me why you were in the bathroom earlier.” 

Aslan’s entire body froze at his words. Eiji could see several emotions flicker across the blond’s face before he settled back into his usual, teasing grin. 

“Well, I'm human, so we usually have to go to the bathroom every once and a while—“ 

“I am being serious,” Eiji rolled his eyes. 

A small stretch of silence passed before Aslan finally gave his answer. “Arthur owed me money for some drugs I sold him, so I confronted him about it.” 

If Eiji hadn’t known the other boy for years, he might have missed the way his friend’s eyes darted around the truck in a way that deliberately avoided his gaze. Or how he was gripping the steering wheel just a bit tighter than necessary. _Clear signs that Aslan was lying._

“Just stay away from that entitled asshole, he thinks it’s fun to fuck with people, then drug them in his room.” 

“W-What,” Eiji uttered, blinking incredulously at the blond. “Did that happen to you?” 

With each passing second that was spent in silence, the increasingly more worried he became. “Asl—“ 

“I wasn’t thinking,” His friend interrupted, voice barely above a whisper. “He told me that he would give me enough cash to pay for the repairs that this stupid truck needed.” 

“You needed money that badly?” 

“Shorter always drove us around, and as you may have noticed, he is currently not here.” Aslan let out a breath before continuing. "And Dad wouldn't give me the money to fix it, anyway.” 

“So, what happened.. with Arthur?” 

Staring straight ahead, Aslan clenched his jaw. “I met up with him, and we had a few drinks. It wasn’t until we got back to his room that I realized he spiked my beer with something.” 

“That’s horrible!” Eiji instinctively blurted out. He felt heat start to creep onto his cheeks at his sudden interruption. 

His friend glanced over, the look in his eyes softening ever so slightly before turning back to the road. “You don’t have to worry, nothing happened, but at the moment, it was terrifying. I could barely see, and I was dizzy as hell. Arthur kept mumbling about some drug I had never heard of.” 

“It was not weeds?” 

“No, Eiji, it wasn’t _weed_ ,” Aslan had to stifle a laugh. “I remember it had some weird name, and Arthur kept repeating how the drug would force me to do whatever he wanted.” 

“That is so scary! H-How did you manage to get away?” 

“Well, even though I could barely see, I still tried to kick that asshole. I actually ended up hitting the desk, knocking over something made of glass. It was enough of a distraction for me to escape,” he explained while fiddling with the radio dials. 

“So, earlier today in the bathroom, you were—” 

“Trying to coerce him into giving me money, in return for not telling all of Cape Cod that one of Blackwell’s _favorite_ students goes around drugging people.” 

The brunet sat in stunned silence for a moment, trying to process everything. It was _awful_ that Aslan had to go through that. He reached out to gently place a reassuring hand on his friend's arm. “I am so happy you are okay,” he said softly. 

“Shit happens.” Aslan’s tone was indifferent, but his expression told a different story. Fear and unease reflected in his green eyes. For a split second, he looked like the scared little boy that Eiji had met all those years ago. 

\- - - 

“Since you told me your secret, I will tell you mine,” Eiji announced as he stared out the window. They were approaching Blackwell. He could see the silhouettes of the buildings in the distance, the brick glistening in the last few rays of sunlight before nightfall. 

“That you obsess over dumb cartoon birds?” 

“W-What, that is not what I mean! And Nori Nori is not dumb,” he frowned. 

“Yeah, sure.” Aslan laughed while rolling his eyes, “Whatever you say, Nori fanboy.” 

“Listen to me,” Eiji shifted in his seat, so his whole body was facing his friend. “How do you think I saved you today in the bathroom?” 

“By pushing the fire alarm?” 

“Well—yes—but I did not think of that the first time.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“When I first went into the bathroom... I saw you get shot by Arthur, and somehow that triggered this ability.” 

“Eiji, I think you lost me,” the blond glanced over at him with a concerned expression. 

They were just pulling into the Blackwell parking lot, not leaving him a lot of time to explain much of anything. “I was able to save you because,” Eiji let out a deep breath, steeling himself for his friend’s reaction. “I-I was able to rewind time, and it gave me the chance to go back and pull the alarm.” 

Aslan was silent for a moment before a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Rewound time, huh? Are you sure you didn’t hit your shoulder _and_ your head?” 

“I am serious, but if you do not believe me.. I understand,” Eiji sighed as he unbuckled his seat belt and hopped out of the truck. _He was foolish to think anyone would believe him in the first place._

Rolling down the window, his friend let out a sigh, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, I just think we both need to get some rest after today.” 

“Yeah, you are right,” he gave a half-hearted smile as he turned to walk away. 

“Eiji, wait,” Aslan called out. Even under the dim glow of the streetlights, his green eyes still seemed to shimmer as their gazes met. “Let me take you to the diner tomorrow after your classes? My treat since you had to deal with my deadbeat dad.” 

“I would like that,” the brunet replied sheepishly, praying that it was dark enough outside to hide his increasingly red face. 

“Let’s talk more about your supposed rewind power tomorrow.” Aslan waved before speeding out of the parking lot. 

“Okay,” Eiji smiled as he watched the truck drive out onto the main road. At least Aslan didn’t call him crazy, and tomorrow he would prove it to him that he _could_ rewind time. 

\- - - 

Considering how tired he felt, Eiji couldn’t fall asleep. He stayed up almost all night tossing and turning, his head filled with _whys_ and _what-ifs_. When he did end up passing out, it wasn’t long before he had to wake up again for his classes. 

The high-pitched Nori Nori theme _seemed_ like a good choice for an alarm in the morning. However, the Japanese song warranted nothing but a loud groan from the brunet— who was usually a morning person— as he opened his eyes. The old mattress springs creaked as he reluctantly pushed himself to his feet. Eiji glanced at his reflection in the mirror hung next to his bed. His mop of hair was a mess, strands sticking out in every direction, not to mention the serious dark circles under his eyes. Great. 

Grabbing his phone off the desk, he was surprised to see no new messages from Sing, who he had forgotten to text last night. He sent his friend a quick apology before gathering some clean clothes and a towel for the shower. 

Eiji toed on the pair slippers by the door before heading out into the hallway. _Thankfully_ , Arthur was nowhere to be seen. It was early enough that not too many people were lingering about. The only person he did see was Skip, who seemed to be playing a game on his phone. 

“How are you, Skip?” 

“Hiya, Eiji,” the younger boy grinned up at him while pocketing his phone. “Listen,” Skip started, his expression turning serious as he glanced around to see if anyone else was in the hallway. “I heard you got whisked away by a handsome stranger last night.”   
  
“W-What?” Eiji spluttered in response. “Where did you hear that?” 

“I told you. I have _very_ reliable sources.” 

The brunet couldn’t help but fidget over the other’s intense gaze. 

“So, it’s true?” Skip’s eyes lit up as he stared at him. 

“No!” Eiji yelped while waving his hands frantically. It took him another moment to process what exactly was said. “Well— yes, sort of true, but it was just my old friend, not a random stranger.” 

“Hah! You didn’t deny that he was handsome, though,” the smaller boy wiggled his eyebrows at him. 

Eiji opened his mouth to let out a retort but realized he had none. He couldn’t lie and say that Aslan wasn’t handsome when he _definitely_ was. The warmth quickly creeping onto his cheeks was also giving him away. 

Skip let out a laugh, his small frame shook as he giggled. “Good to know, you’ll have to introduce me sometime. Nice bedhead, by the way.” 

“Ah—well, I am on my way to the showers.” 

“Don’t let me stop you, I’ll see you around, Eiji!” 

“I will see you later, Skip,” he waved before heading off to take a well-deserved shower. 

\- - - 

Eiji sighed in relief when he found the bathroom empty. He could have a peaceful shower and _maybe_ attempt to sort out his thoughts. 

After washing his face at the sink, he tugged off his shirt and started unwinding the bandages on his shoulder. His injuries weren’t nearly as sore as they felt yesterday. _Maybe Aslan’s sloppy first aid had helped, after all._

He couldn’t help but remember how gently his friend had patched up his shoulder. Aslan even let him squeeze the life out of his hand. The thought was enough to bring a small smile to Eiji's face as he stepped into the cramped shower stall. 

Turning the rusted handle, lukewarm water poured out of the showerhead and drummed against his tired skin. Being able to have warmer water was one of the benefits of being a morning person at Blackwell. After the third or fourth person had used the showers for the day, the water became as cold as ice. 

Right as Eiji reached for the shampoo, he heard the bathroom door swing open. 

“I can’t believe I indulged Sergei in a ridiculous discussion about film noir, yet he still ends up scurrying off and leaving me in the dust.” 

Yut-Lung’s whine was as recognizable as ever. Eiji was sure even if they were in the middle of Times Square or Shibuya Crossing, Yut-Lung would find a way to talk over everyone. 

“That sucks, Yue.” A lower voice— most likely Lao— responds. 

“Do you think he has a girlfriend or something?” 

“Not sure.” 

Even over the water from the shower, he could hear Yut-Lung groan in response. 

“Whatever. I’m winning that Everyday Heroes contest and I will be going to New York with him. I won’t let anyone get in my way, especially Eiji. The way he acts all innocent and shit around Sergei makes me want to strangle someone—” 

Upon hearing his name, Eiji’s blood ran cold. _Did Yut-Lung somehow figure out that he was in here?_

“Speaking of him,” Lao interrupted, “I heard he was asking around about Shorter.” 

“He what?” Yut-Lung hissed, slamming his fist down on the sink. “Why would he even care?” 

“Well, all those posters up yesterday, ya know?” 

“You better have kept your fat mouth shut, Lao.” 

A tense moment of silence took hold of the room. The only sound came from the rushing stream of water hitting the tile floor. 

Yut-Lung let out a long drawn-out sigh. “I am going to kill whoever put those up, they were covering up so many of the End of the World party posters, too.” 

“That’s happening next Friday, right?” 

“Yes, Lao, it is next Friday—which you would know if you paid any attention during the planning meeting.” 

“R-Right.” 

“Anyways, how many people do you think will ask me? Just so I know how much I need to practice my pity face for when I have to reject them…” Yut-Lung’s voice faded as he walked out of the bathroom. 

Eiji stood frozen in the shower stall, trying to take in deep breaths as the water ran down his body. _So much for a quiet, peaceful morning._

\- - - 

Checking his phone for the fifth time since he left the showers, he couldn’t help the unpleasant feeling growing in his gut over the lack of messages. It had been _hours_ , and Sing hadn’t texted him back yet. Was his friend that upset with him? 

They had Ibe-san’s class together first period—maybe he would go try to apologize to him in person. Usually, Sing would get there early, so that he could cram the last of his homework from the previous day. Heading to class seemed like the best option in finding him. 

Gathering up his books, Eiji hurried out of the dorm and across the campus. As soon as he pushed open the heavy doors to the school building, he could feel someone’s eyes on him. Lao’s glare felt like daggers digging into his back, even though he was standing all the way across the hall. 

“I will not let it bother me,” the brunet mumbled to himself while walking past, but the cold sweat forming on the back of his neck said otherwise. 

Organizing his things in his locker as quickly as possible, Eiji shut the metal door and scurried off towards the classroom. Once he turned the corner and was out of Lao’s line of sight, he let out a sigh of relief. 

Even though it was thirty or so minutes before classes started for the day, he could hear voices in Ibe-san’s classroom. The door had been left slightly ajar, so Eiji had an opportunity to peek in while remaining unseen. Even if he was seen, he could reverse time to prevent that from happening— but he would rather use his newfound power as sparingly as possible. 

“Is something on your mind, Sing?” 

He watched as Ibe-san walked over to Sing, who was hunched over something at his desk. 

“W-What makes you say that?” 

“Well, I don’t typically see you sitting and staring at the same the same page for fifteen minutes straight.” 

Sing spluttered before erupting in a series of coughs. “I-uh was just zoning out, I guess?” He hastily responded, his tone seemed to be a higher pitch than usual. 

“I know the students tend to see us teachers as old men, but I— contrary to popular belief— was young once. So, maybe I can help you—“ 

“Ibe,” the younger boy interrupted, his voice suddenly serious. 

Ibe-san blinked once, then twice in response. Surprise was written all over his face, he must not have expected to be cut off so quickly. 

“Why d'you refer to Eiji as Ei-chan?” 

Eiji grip on the door tightened. He knew that he shouldn’t be listening in on other people’s conversations. It was rude and an invasion of privacy.. but if he was caught, he could just rewind… 

“Oh, um, I suppose it would be hard for someone outside of Japan to understand.” Ibe-san cleared his throat and ran his fingers over his mustache before continuing. “I have known Eiji and his family for a long time, ever since they came to Cape Cod when Eiji was a young child.” 

Sing seemed to be enraptured by the teacher’s words, his eyes as wide as saucers since Ibe-san started talking. “You really have known him for that long?” 

“I have,” the Japanese man chuckled, “So, in Japan, we tend to apply some type of honorific after a person’s name. Since I have known Eiji for a long time, that is why I refer to him like that. It implies, a— how you say... good friendship between two people?” 

“Oh,” Sing responded quietly, his gaze downcast. It made it difficult for Eiji to see the look in his eyes. 

“Did something happen between the two of you?” 

“Well— I may have said something that made him uncomfortable,” he trailed off. 

Ibe-san pulled out the chair next to Sing’s and sat down. “I know Ei-chan, and I’m sure he has already forgiven you— that is if he was even was upset in the first place. He has a big heart.” 

For the first time since Eiji started listening in on their conversation, Sing looked up to meet Ibe-san’s gaze. The look in the shorter boy’s eyes was one of determination like a fire had just been lit under him. 

“You’re right! Thanks for listening, Ibe.” 

Receding from the doorway, Eiji slumped against the wall beside the classroom. At least he knew that his friend wasn’t _actually_ upset with him, after all. 

\- - - 

By the time he mustered up enough courage to walk into the classroom, the seats were almost filled up with his other classmates. With the higher noise level in the room, it wouldn’t be much longer until class started. 

“Eiji,” Sing immediately waved to him once he stepped foot in the door. The harsh black eye he sustained in the fight with Arthur yesterday had begun to fade to a light bruise. Just _thinking_ of the incident in the parking lot had Eiji’s stomach in knots. 

“Hi, Sing,” the brunet responded sheepishly as he sank down into the empty seat beside his friend. “Your eye looks better.” 

“I told you that no white boy could ever defeat the great Sing Soo-Ling!” The shorter boy announced while puffing out his chest, which earned him a few looks from their fellow classmates. “And sorry about not responding to your messages— I’ve been so swamped with homework.” 

“It is okay,” he instinctively blurted out, the tone of his voice a higher pitch than he would have liked. Maybe listening in on their conversation earlier hadn’t been such a good idea. “I figured you had been busy.” 

Slamming the book he was scribbling in closed, Sing turned in order to fully face Eiji in his seat. “Ya know that new drive-in that opened? They are having a classics marathon with that movie you like with the, uh— giant lizard monster?” 

“You mean Godzilla?” 

“Right! That’s it,” his friend gave him a wide-toothed grin. “Lao said he would lend me the car this weekend, so I could take us to go see it.. if you wanted!” 

“Oh,” Eiji stared down at the worn desk, its surface covered in etched marks and scribbles in permanent marker. Sing surely meant they could go as friends, right? So why was there still a nervous feeling churning in his gut. “I-I do not know… I need to think about it,” he answered lamely. 

“Right,” Sing gave a half-hearted smile. His response devoid of the confidence he had exuded just moments ago. “Just let me know by tomorrow, will ya?” 

“I will.” 

\- - - 

Ibe had them watching a video today, an older documentary recorded on 16 mm film. It really was interesting and showed how far cinematography had come. Eiji was so engrossed in the movie that he didn’t notice his phone vibrate in his pocket. 

Then it went off again. 

And again. 

Eiji grumbled, pursing his lips as he pulled the phone out of his pocket. Who would be sending him all these messages at once? 

> _October 8th, 2019_  
>  _9:35 AM_  
>  **Aslan** :   
>  Eiji 
> 
> _9:36 AM_  
>  **Aslan** :   
>  Is this still your number? 
> 
> _9:40 AM_  
>  **Aslan** :   
>  I’m assuming it is. You kept all those Nori shirts. Why wouldn’t you keep a sim card? 
> 
> _9:42 AM_  
>  **Eiji** :   
>  Yes it is me, but I am in class now!! (＃`Д´) 
> 
> _9:43 AM_  
>  **Aslan** :   
>  Forgot about those annoying emojis. 
> 
> _9:44 AM_  
>  **Eiji** :   
>  They are not annoying (￣ヘ￣) I can not talk now I am in class! 
> 
> _9:45 AM_  
>  **Aslan** :   
>  Never would have expected perfect student Eiji to be texting in class. 
> 
> _9:46 AM_  
>  **Eiji** :   
>  You are the one making me (¬_¬ ) 

Even though this aggravating conversation made Eiji want to toss his phone across the classroom, he couldn’t help the small smile creeping onto his face. Texting so casually with Aslan, reminded him of how things used to be years ago. Warmth bloomed in his chest as he glanced back down at his phone. 

> _9:50 AM_  
>  **Aslan** :   
>  You said your classes end at 3:30, right? I’ll pick you up around then. 
> 
> _9:52 AM_  
>  **Eiji** :   
>  I am looking forward to it! ( ´ ▽ ` ) 

As he switched his attention back to the documentary, he noticed Sing staring at him. Eiji bit his lip, keeping his eyes fixed on the movie in an attempt to ignore his friend’s gaze. A few seconds later, he noticed the other boy had turned back to watching the film. 

For the duration of the period, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. Sing was even back to enthusiastically yelling out wrong answers to Ibe-san’s questions like he typically does during class. However, Eiji found himself wanting to bolt as soon as the bell rang. But he couldn’t do that to his friend— especially after leaving him with Arthur yesterday. 

“What did ya think of the movie, Eiji?” Sing turned to him once class ended. 

“O-Oh, I thought it was very interesting.” 

What Eiji didn’t expect was for his friend to burst out laughing at his answer. He blinked a few times as he watched Sing continue to laugh. 

“Sorry,” he said as he caught his breath, “I figured you’d give a generic answer like that since you were on your phone the whole time, which is totally unlike you.” 

The brunet felt his cheeks warm. So, he was right that Sing was watching him earlier. 

“But seriously.. I’ve never seen you on your cell in class, is everything okay?” His friend’s tone suddenly became serious. 

“Um, yes, it is okay,” Eiji responded sheepishly. “It was just my friend—” 

“The one from last night?” Sing interrupted. 

“Y-Yes?” He was starting to sweat under the other boy’s intense gaze. 

Sing muttered something under his breath, which was completely drowned out by the sound of the warning bell. 

“Crap! I can’t be late again, or I’ll get another lecture from Mr. Glenreed,” his friend swore as he scrambled to pack up all his books. Before rushing out the door with his yellow backpack halfway zipped, Sing turned back and grinned, “Think about the drive-in, it’d be fun.” 

There wasn’t even time to respond before Eiji found himself sitting in an empty classroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning on having the diner ~~date~~ scene in this chapter.. but it was getting too long, so expect it in the next chapter! :>
> 
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